't rouse 'em
again." He shook his head--"Nothing doing. Well, for something like
fifteen years those guys of Sachigo have been doing and working; and
now, to-day, they've jumped into the market with both feet. I haven't
the full measure of things yet. But the play's a big thing. They're out
for the game we've been playing. Say, they're combining every old mill
we've left over. All the derelicts and moth-bounds. Their hands are out
grabbing all over the country. Well, that wouldn't scare me worth a
cent, only they've never let up in fifteen years, and there's talk about
big British finance getting behind 'em."

The man broke off. His serious eyes remained steadily regarding the
girl's interested face.

"You reckon this change is easy," he went on again. "I guess it would be
easy if these folk hadn't jumped into the market. That makes all the
difference. While we're changing they're busy. Their stuff's coming down
in thousands of tons. And it's _better_ groundwood than ours. If we
change over we're going to leave the market short and these folk will
get big contracts. You're right. We've been working the Shagaunty too
long. But it's been by three or four seasons. Not one. The time's
coming, if it hasn't already come, when we've got to fight these folks
and smash 'em; or get right out of business."

Something of the girl's joy had passed in face of the man's statement.

"There's been talk of these Sachigo folk in the trade," she said
thoughtfully, "but I didn't know it was as big as you say. Of course--"

"Sure you didn't. You haven't had to handle our stuff on the market."
The man laughed. And something of his seriousness passed. "But you're a
bright kid. And the Skandinavia's looking for bright kids all the time.
It needs 'em to counter a doped Board. It's taken you five minutes to
locate a trouble the Board's taken years to realise. And you've been
talking one of the bunch of decisions we've taken. I mean quitting the
Shagaunty. We didn't have your argument, but we had the 'drop.' So the
decision was taken. We've got to move like hell. Sachigo has our
measure, and it's going to be a big fight. How'd you fancy a trip up
country? I mean up the Shagaunty?"

There was a change in the man's voice and manner as he put his demand.
He was leaning forward in his chair. A hot light had suddenly leapt into
his eyes, which left them shining unwholesomely. Nancy was startled at
his words. And his attitude shocked her not a lit